Creating frozen and filtered delays

Delay effects are some of the coolest touches you can add to synth or percussion

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In this walkthrough we take a simple synth line and transform it using frozen, filtered delays. In this case a sampled melody is combined with Ohm Force's OhmBoyz plug-in to create the final effect in Logic Pro, but you could use any combination of plug-ins and sound sources.

The audio examples above will take you from a dry synth line through a basic delay effect all the way to a full on modulated Dub delay. Each step is relatively simple, but the end effect is actually pretty intense. Using an advanced delay plug-in in this manner should give you much more control than a traditional delay line. The possibilities are extremely varied. If you don't have OhmBoyz then you should check out Logic's Delay Designer, FabFilter's Timeless 2 and Reason's The Echo. All of these plug-ins allow you to sculpt your delay effects to create these full-on effects. Be sure to incorporate plenty of automation and modulation to keep the end result dynamic and interesting for your lucky listener.

1. First up choose the audio you want to process with the delay effect. Try starting with an arpeggiated synth line or something percussive. Thissort of sequence will work really well with delay-based effects. They will also allow you to easily time your freezes.

2. Now add your chosen delay plug-in – make sure it has a freeze function, or at the very least ensure that your plug-in allows you to lock out 100% feedback. Here Ohm Force's OhmBoyz is used as it has a dedicated 'sustained loop' parameter.

3. Now use your DAW's automation to record 'freezes' at key points in your sequence. You can hear that the freeze function has been used ontwo different occasions. This was recorded in live and left 'as is'. The effect is pretty pleasing and can be quite intense.

4. Filtering and delay go together well, so if you have a delay plug-in with filters, or even an external resonant filter plug-in, then you should putthem to work. Try a sweeping a high-pass filter with a touch of resonance straight after your delay line for an instant spacey effect.

5. To make things a little more interesting you might want to add some modulation to the delay signal. OhmBoyz actually allows you to add anLFO to just about any parameter. At this stage a synced LFO was used to modulate a resonant low-pass filter.

6. Finally, test your new frozen delays in the mix. Something that sounds awesome in isolation may not work so well with all your otherelements, so always check it. You may need to tune the wet/dry mix and your filter parameters to get the perfect result.